Life’s demands can make attending meetings in person a challenge. Whether it’s due to vacation time, health reasons, managing childcare, working unconventional hours, or dealing with other barriers, members may struggle to physically attend co-op meetings. How can we bring these members into the “room”?

That’s where hybrid meetings come in, offering a flexible solution that allows both online and in-person attendees to engage comfortably. In a hybrid meeting, members can join via phone, mobile, or desktop device, or in the common room.

Hybrid meetings help ensure that all voices may be heard, and offers:

• Increased flexibility, as it is easier to accommodate everyone’s schedules, including those of external partners like engineers or auditors.
• Increased accessibility and inclusivity by meeting members where they are, whether that means allowing a parent to keep their kid’s bedtime routine while participating in a general meeting or ensuring that members with health concerns can still have a voice and stay informed during town halls.
• Boosted participation by allowing members to join from wherever they feel most comfortable.
• Enhanced openness, as people are more likely to share their ideas and contribute meaningfully when they feel at ease and their basic needs are met.

Here’s what we think are musts when it comes to setting up your Hybrid Meeting:

For a successful hybrid meeting, it takes a team with key roles such as:

• Chair or Facilitator: Keeps the meeting on track.
• Host and Technical Support: Handles the online tools and any tech issues.
• In-Person Champion: This person helps bridge the gap between the physical and online spaces, supporting the chair and maintaining order. The in-person champion ensures everyone is included.
• Additional Support: Helpful volunteers to set up and take down the meeting room.

At CHF BC, we take care of the technical stuff so you can focus on what’s important: your co-op community.

One of the popular tools we offer is the Meeting Owl. It’s a cool gadget with a 360-degree camera and a built-in microphone and speaker. The Meeting Owl automatically focuses on the person speaking, making it easy for online attendees to see and hear everything. You can add the Meeting Owl to your for an additional $125, which includes help from a tech consultant who will set it up and manage the online side of things.

If your co-op just needs help with the hybrid part of the meeting, we have a Hybrid Meeting Package. This package is great if you want to handle most of the meeting yourself but need some support with the hybrid setup. It includes in-person support and the use of the Meeting Owl for a cost of $252 (+ GST). However, it doesn’t cover full meeting setup or registration, and there may be additional travel costs.

We’re here to help make sure everyone feels included and can participate, whether they’re online or in person.

Note: Geography can play a role in what services are available but please know we are happy to support where we can. Please reach out for more information: meetingsupport@chf.bc.ca.